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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23267173">The Game</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKetchup98/pseuds/AshKetchup98'>AshKetchup98</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death, Other, Prompt Fic, Writing Exercise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 07:07:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,583</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23267173</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshKetchup98/pseuds/AshKetchup98</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Writing prompt where the Protag challenges Death to a game for their soul.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This story starts with an ending.</p>
<p>I was on my death bed in a porceline white ward of my local hospital. A particularly aggressive form of cancer turned my life from that of a 25 year old office worker, to nearing my final breath in a matter of weeks. I lay there on the hospital sheets, my crying girlfriend next to me, a shell of my former self. Her tears dripped on my now almost skeletal hand, which was in her shakey grip. Each breath I took became more and more laboured, I was clinging to life. There's so much I haven't done! I thought to myself, a tear escaping my eye.</p>
<p>Then all the pain stopped.</p>
<p>It seemed the disease eating me alive, ripping my life away, had just lifted itself from me. But the world was silent. When before all I could hear was my fading heart monitor and my girlfriend's sobs, now there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. </p>
<p>I was still in the bright white ward, my surrounding had not changed, however I glimpsed a black hooded figure in my peripheral vision. Was that there before?</p>
<p>As I was dying I was unable to move besides turning my head slightly. But now when I wanted to sit up to see what the figure was, I moved as easily as when I was healthy. Confused and a little light headed from my sudden motion, I looked to see that it's face was shrouded in black. I was unsure if it was a person.</p>
<p>The figure lifted a gloved hand and beckoned me to come to it. And without thinking I was now face to face with it. Well face to lack of face. And it spoke. </p>
<p>"Its time." A deep voice eminated, that's the only way I can describe it, from the hood. </p>
<p>My mind flooded with questions. "Who are you? What is this?" I blurted out. </p>
<p>"I am Death." It answered. "I am here to take your soul to the next world."</p>
<p>I felt chills every time it, Death, spoke. But I knew it was right. I looked over my shoulder to see my dead body on the bed, my girlfriend silently crying, mourning her loss. My heart broke a million times at the sight. </p>
<p>My emotions were all over the place. "Please no, I still have so much to do, to see, to live!" I pleaded with Death. I knew it was futile however. </p>
<p>"You are dead, it is your time, please come with me now." Death explained, a hint of impatience in its voice, like it had had to explain this millions of times before.</p>
<p>An idea sprung to my now dead mind, "I know,  we'll play a game, for my soul, I win, I live, you win, I'll come with." </p>
<p>Death sighed. "Many have had that idea, many have lost to me, it's useless."</p>
<p>"You're only saying that because you're afraid you'll lose." I teased Death with a smirk. </p>
<p>It didn't like that. It grabbed my spirits clothes, pulling me closer in a grip like it was going to punch me. "You're on." It said menacingly. </p>
<p>A bright light flashed around me and we were somewhere else. The room was grey, there was a sofa and TV on the far side. But in front of us was a small table with 2 chairs on either side. It was what was on that table the perplexed me, it was a monopoly board with everything that was needed to play. </p>
<p>I turned my head to Death, who was stood next to me. I opened my mouth with many questions but it seemed like it knew what I was going to ask. </p>
<p>"This is my place in limbo," It pre emptively answered me. "And monopoly, you're going to ask? I like the game, I've had to deliver a few should because of it in my time." It sounded amused by its comment. I couldn't help but twitch a smile, there have been games I've played where I swear my girlfriend was going to rip my head off. A tinge of guilt and grief surged through me at the thought of her. "Besides," Death continued, "We're both undefeated in it, would make it fair."</p>
<p>I nodded, unable to argue with that. Even though I had cheated in most if those games. And I felt like I would definately need to cheat here.</p>
<p>Death motioned for me to sit and I did. It sat opposite me and took the position of banker and we began. I took the top hat, it was my lucky piece, and Death took the car. I smirked a little as I rolled an 11 as we decided who would go first, out if all the pieces more people have been killed by cars than wheelbarrows. Death rolled a 6 and I lightly punched the air at this small win. As the first turns went by the game was clean, but maybe 10 turns in I saw Death had rolled a 5, but moved 6 pieces to get free parking, instead of ending up on a Vine Street I owned. </p>
<p>So that's how we're gonna play huh, I thought to myself. And so the game continued, both of us minorly cheating subtly for any small advantage.</p>
<p>And that's how it continued for 2,000 years. </p>
<p>The game got intense, within the first week we both ended up owning half the board each. Through trading and cheating, all of the sets were completely owned by either one of of in a month. And then it became a stalemate, for year after year, decade after decade, century after century, we remained deadlocked. I had lost count how many times we got our pieces around that board, a million? 10 million? Who knew? I'm sure Death knew the exact figure, but that's not what we spoke of. Sure our conversation went to the game if we landed on each others hotels, but that seemed to happen an equal amount of times so we had around £5000 Each the whole time. </p>
<p>However our conversation was about everything else, I felt like I was really getting to know Death, like on a personal level. It was strange at first but after a while, by that I mean a couple of decades, we became somewhat friends. Locked in a never ending battle of wits and tactical deceit in an effort to turn the game to one of our advantages, but friends.</p>
<p>The game wasn't continuous either, Death would still go and do it's job. Reaping souls. Once it was gone for several years, I kept myself entertained by watching the TV while laid out on the sofa. Death came back, sighing and stretching it's arms. </p>
<p>"Sorry," It apologised as it rolled the dice and moved its piece. "Global war." Death said that so casually, like it was a particularly taxing milk run. I scoffed and took my turn and we carried on. </p>
<p>That takes us to now, 2000 years in the future. Death and I played out this game for so many years, part of me yearned it to end, no matter the result. Another part of me though, had grown attached to my finest opponent.</p>
<p>I had landed on Mayfair with a hotel, which cleaned me down to only £400, my lowest amount of money for centuries. I shivered with anxiety as Death rolled, a 4, taking it to a community chest, but when it moved its tiny car, it slipped its piece to Bond Street, where I had a hotel! I raised my eyebrows and looked up to Deaths shrouded face, it had just put me back in the game, and cheated it's way to doing it. </p>
<p>"Uhhhhh?" I started, "You know you just cheated to land on my hotel?" I knew we had become welcome voices and listeners to one another, but I was sure we were still playing to win. </p>
<p>Death sighed while handing over the £1400 for the hotel. And then it did something I had never seen it do before. Which for a normal human lifetime could be a minor shock. But in 2000 years I had studied every habit and quirk Death had, hell I even knew it waved it's gloved fingers on its left hand when it was excited. No, the level of shock in me was the equivalent of 30 or 40 heart attacks. </p>
<p>Death lifted its hood! What I saw was beautiful. Under the hood this whole time was a pale white female face, she looked young but was eternally old. I could see that in her pale blue eyes. Her hair was a silver blonde, tied back. </p>
<p>A tear escaped her eye and her lips trembled into a smile. "I don't want this game to end." </p>
<p>I smiled back in shock, she felt the same!</p>
<p>"Neither do I." I replied, "Who would guess it, but I feel like we've become, friends?"</p>
<p>"I feel the same." Death replied. "I could never had guessed I'd be friends with a mortal, and I have the wisdom of eons!" </p>
<p>"Also you're afraid you're going to lose!" I laughed. At this point winding Death up had become a second game I played.</p>
<p>She grinned and laughed back. "I could have had you 900 years ago!" She retorted. </p>
<p>We spent years bantering, and finally acknowledging our already ancient friendship. </p>
<p>As for the game, the game continues to this day, maybe 10,000 plus years after my death. I lost count. </p>
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